Combined heel and arch support



June 2, 1931.

O. GREGAREK COMBINED HEEL AND ARCH SUPPORT Filed April '21. 1930 Patented .une 2, 1931 ,PATENT ori-ice OTTO GREGAREK, OF FHILAIDELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA COMBINED HEEL AND` ARCH SUPPORT Application led April 21,

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a combined heel and arch support and has for its object to so construct a device of this kind that the arch support will be a continuation of the heel and be permanent parts of each other.

A further object of the invention is to so fashion and construct or manufacture the device that it may be entirely of felt or other suitable material preferably a compressible material so as to provide a certain amount of resiliency and which when in use will develop the proper medial tread, namely, a

tread from the center of the heel on a straight line forward through the great toe, thus bringing the bones of the foot in proper alignment and give the 'effective support to the arch.

A further object of the invention is to provide a support of this kind wherein an especiallv thick portion is provided for supporting the cuboid bone.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a combined heel and arch support having a unique outline or conguration and fashioned to provide inclined portions leading to the edges thereof.

Vith these ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my combined heel and arch support showing a skeleton foot in broken lines in proper relative position to the device.

Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof looking in the direction of the arrow adjacent Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Y

In carrying out my invention as herein embodied, 5 represents a combined heel and arch support consisting primarily of the heel 50 element 6 and the arch support or supporting `edge 10. From the interior edge or upon that cvillbe obvious by reference 'to Fig.` 2,.the

' readily'seen that the rear joints of the bone of ed in proper positions and relation to one an- 1930. V Serial No. 445,847.

element 7, the latter in particular being of unique outline or configuration and embodying a concave exterior' side edge 8, a generally convex forward edge 9 and concave interior side on which the great toe falls projects an 1 extension 11 so as to underlie the first metal tarsal bone of the foot while from the edge upon which the small toe falls or from the exterior edge is formed a projection 12 which underlies the ifthmetatarsalbone and said l side'edges', front edge and extensions are skived inwardly and upwardly on the top face of the device and moreparticularly the supporting element. Y

The d evice has the exterior side in the region where the cuboid bone rests vthereon slit Vas indicated at 13 and a wedge '14 of the same material .as the balance of the ldevice is inserted and then fixed in place by stitches 1,5 or othersuitable fastening means. As plainly shown in Fig. 3,an enlargement 17 is thus produced and the thicker part of the wedge is at the edge of they device and as sides'zof said wedge are tapered, therefore an enlargement is provided on the device which inclins from the interior edges inwardly toward the center of the device although terminating short of the longitudinal centerv and Aalso nclines sidewise relative to the enlargement but forwardly'and rearwardly relative to the device asa whole.l

From the foregoing description it will be the arch will be supported on the inclined surfaces at the interior and exterior sides of the supporting element while the enlargement formed bythe .wedge 14 will support the cuboid bone while the other bones of the pos- 1 terior arch will be supported in proper position by the blending of the skived side edges with the heel element. Y

The forward bones of the foot are supportotherby the skiving along the forward edgev in conjunction with the extension 11 and 12 and the blending of the skiving along the forward edge and the skiving along the interior edge provides a ridge 16 to extend beica- 2y ILeoefi tween the joint of the great toe and the joint of the next toe so as to properly position these joints and prevent crowding which'is essential to maintain the proper tread.

5 A support constructed as herein described will not only develop theproper medial tread from the center of the heel on a straight line forward to the great toe but will also cause the anterior and posterior arches to assume natural positions, and will also support the cuboid bone and prevent undue strain on the longitudinal arch therebytending vto maintain the foot as a whole in a natural position.

The device being made entirelyof felt,

preferably, provides a soft andl yielding tread to the foot, gives a sufficient support to the arch and avoids any hard pressure upon :the under.sideof the bone of the foot; and being resilient, it will take up .perspiration and .give sufficient ventilation to the foot to prevent disagreeable odors andthe formation of callouses. A combined heelor heel Y pad and arch support manufactured as set forth herein will be light in weight andy may v be readily removed for cleansing and airing. Of course I do not Wish tol be limitedto the exact details of construction vas herein shown, as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claims without de- 3o parting from the spirit'of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claimas new and useful is l. A device of the kind described consisting of a heel element, an arch supportingelement formed integral with the heel element and fashioned to provide c oncavedl side edges and a convex 'forward'edge, an extensionproj ecting from the forward part ofthe exterior j edge to underlie the fifth metatarsalbone,

40 another extension projecting from the interior side adjacent the forwardv end to underlie the first metatarsal bone,` all of said edges and the extensionsbeing skived to form inwardly and upwardly inclined surfaces, and

a ridge formed by theimeeting of the forward and interior side skivings, said lridge adaptedto lie between the'great and'second `toe. Y s Y l 2. The structure set forth in claim 1 in com- `V bination with a-wedge having vtapering side j edges inserted in a slit in the exterior side edge of the device in the region of the position occupied' by the cuboid bone ofthe foot. j Intestimony whereof,l have hereunto affixed my signature. Y v

OTTO GRE(Manx.v 

